title: Prevalence of caries among preschool-aged children in a central Anatolian population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Early childhood caries (ECC) is a particularly destructive form of tooth decay that afflicts young children. The etiology and associated factors of ECC should be studied adequately to overcome this health hazard. The aim of this study was to determine caries prevalence and its consequences in toddlers in an Anatolian city, Kırıkkale.
  
  
  METHODS
  Examinations were performed in family medicine centers by three calibrated dentists during a period of 6 months. The status of dental caries was recorded according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. We recorded the clinical indexes of decayed, missed, and filled teeth (DMFT and dmft; upper-case letters refer to permanent and lower-case letters to primary teeth), and decayed, missed, and filled surfaces (DMFS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Totally 3171 toddlers were included (52% males and 48% females). The mean age was 25.8 ± 10.1 months. The prevalence of ECC in preschool children was 17.3%, while the mean df(t) was 0.63 ± 1.79. ECC increased significantly with age. Dental caries were mostly observed in primary maxillary central teeth. Occlusal and buccal surfaces were the most affected sites. The difference in distribution of caries between maxilla and mandibula was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When compared to other data obtained from various epidemiologic studies, the toddlers living in Kırıkkale city center had a significant caries level. This observation had clearly suggested that early preventive measures should urgently be put into effect all over the city.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Kırıkkale University, Kırıkkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Damla
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Doğan
authors.forename: Coruh T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Dülgergil
authors.forename: Abidin T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Mutluay
authors.forename: Işıl
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yıldırım
authors.forename: Mehmet M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hamidi
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Colak
keywords: Dental caries; df(t); early childhood caries; prevalence